Besides the initial buying and shipping cost, there are other costs you will incur if you plant to have a bearded dragon include. If we have to guess wildly, the estimates will be as follows.
1. Initial vet visit will cost $20 – $100
After buying them, your herb vet should confirm that they don’t have any existing health conditions or parasites. For this vet check, expect to incur anything from $20 to over $100 depending on their general health condition.
2. Supplies and setup costs $300 – $600
You need a tank or enclosure with a screen cover, UV light bulbs, heat lamps (for day and night), substrate, thermometers, hygrometers, thermostats, light fixtures, ceramic heat emitter for nighttime, insect keeper, reptile timers, feeding and drinking bowls, décor and furniture and other things.
We have a checklist of various supplies that are needed. The price you incur will depend on their brand, size, quality, among other factors. Therefore, the costs will vary greatly depending on the brands you buy. Typically, the various supplies will cost about $300 to $600 or more.
3. Monthly operation costs $25-$38
The maintenance costs you will incur will include electricity bills as well as money for buying food and supplements (calcium, vitamin D3, and multivitamins). Feeding them will cost you $20-$30, whereas electricity bills of $5 – $8 monthly.
4. Biannual or annual costs $90 – $180
Besides expenses above, you will also incur light replacement costs of about $40-80 every six months or a year depending on the bulb types you are using. Some like mercury vapor lamps have a longer lifespan.
Also, you will incur an annual herp vet visit cost of $50-$100 or higher you don’t care for your beardie well.
5. Saving on the cost these agamid lizards
To make a saving, compare prices to get where prices are favorable, raise your feeder insects such as crickets, roaches, silkworms, grasshoppers, mealworms, and so forth if possible.
Also, you can cut your expenses down by not buying reptile timers, gun thermometers, among other supplies that are not mandatory. However, this may make it hard to care for them properly.
Finally, go for homemade stuff, the likes of the substrate you use, décor, and furniture instead of buying them. You can make hides, climbing branches and logs, basking platforms, and all that.
Bringing your beardie home
Before bringing these reptiles home, set up their vivarium, let it run for at least a week to give you time to adjust temperature and humidity to desired levels. Also, ensure their UVB lighting system works efficiently.
When collecting them, get a suitable reptile carrier and drive straight home without any stopovers since they need to be in their cages as soon as possible. Keep their carriers warm, but don’t let them overheat.
For hatchlings, line a well-ventilated plastic box or their carrier with tissue or paper towels to minimize chances of injury as you transport them.
Since they are still new, avoid much interaction (don’t interact with them) since the new environment and transportation will have caused them enough stress. Additionally, don’t handle these lizards within the first week. Wait for at least a week and do it gradually until they are comfortable (not skittish).
Feeding them
You need to know how to feed your bearded dragons dependent on their age. Some of their best foods are live feeder insects, veggies and greens, fruits, commercial diets, safe herbs as well as safe plants and flowers.
To feed them, you need good shallow water bowls and feeding bowls or feeders. Don’t forget to condition their water with ReptiSafe.